Othersappeartobeharmless，andevenedibleOfthelattersortisthelargepython，metsepallah，ortariThelargestspecimensofthisareabout15or20feetinlengthTheyareperfectlyharmless，andliveonsmallanimals，chieflytherodentia；occasionallythesteinbuckandpallahfallvictims，andaresuckedintoitscomparativelysmallmouthinboa-constrictorfashionOneweshotwas11feet10incheslong，andasthickasaman’slegWhenshotthroughthespine，itwascapableofliftingitselfupaboutfivefeethigh，andopeneditsmouthinathreateningmanner，butthepoorthingwasmoreinclinedtocrawlawayThefleshismuchrelishedbytheBakalahariandBushmenTheycarryawayeachhisportion，likelogsofwood，overtheirshoulders。
*“Asthissnake，`BucephalusCapensis’，inouropinion，isnotprovidedwithapoisonousfluidtoinstillintowoundswhichthesefangsmayinflict，theymustconsequentlybeintendedforapurposedifferenttothosewhichexistinpoisonousreptilesTheiruseseemstobetoofferobstaclestotheretrogressionofanimals，suchasbirds，etc。，whiletheyareonlypartiallywithinthemouth；andfromthecircumstanceofthesefangsbeingdirectedbackward，andnotadmittingofbeingraisedsoastoformananglewiththeedgeofthejaw，theyarewellfittedtoactaspowerfulholderswhenoncetheypenetratetheskinandsoftpartsofthepreywhichtheirpossessorsmaybeintheactofswallowing。
Withoutsuchfangsescapeswouldbecommon；withsuchtheyarerare。
“ThenativesofSouthAfricaregardthe`BucephalusCapensis’aspoisonous；
butintheiropinionwecannotconcur，aswehavenotbeenabletodiscovertheexistenceofanyglandsmanifestlyorganizedforthesecretionofpoisonThefangsareinclosedinasoft，pulpysheath，theinnersurfaceofwhichiscommonlycoatedwithathinglairysecretion。
Thissecretionpossiblymayhavesomethingacridandirritatinginitsqualities，whichmay，whenitentersawound，causepainandevenswelling，butnothingofgreaterimportance。
“The`BucephalusCapensis’isgenerallyfoundontrees，towhichitresortsforthepurposeofcatchingbirds，uponwhichitdelightstofeed。
Thepresenceofaspecimeninatreeisgenerallysoondiscoveredbythebirdsoftheneighborhood，whocollectarounditandflytoandfro，utteringthemostpiercingcries，untilsomeone，moreterror-struckthantherest，actuallyscansitslips，and，almostwithoutresistance，becomesamealforitsenemyDuringsuchaproceedingthesnakeisgenerallyobservedwithitsheadraisedabouttenortwelveinchesabovethebranchroundwhichitsbodyandtailareentwined，withitsmouthopenanditsneckinflated，asifanxiouslyendeavoringtoincreasetheterrorwhichitwouldalmostappearitwasawarewouldsoonerorlaterbringwithinitsgraspsomeoneofthefeatheredgroup。
“Whatevermaybesaidinridiculeoffascination，itisneverthelesstruethatbirds，andevenquadrupeds，are，undercertaincircumstances，unabletoretirefromthepresenceofcertainoftheirenemies；
and，whatisevenmoreextraordinary，unabletoresistthepropensitytoadvancefromasituationofactualsafetyintooneofthemostimminentdangerThisIhaveoftenseenexemplifiedinthecaseofbirdsandsnakes；andIhaveheardofinstancesequallycurious，inwhichantelopesandotherquadrupedshavebeensobewilderedbythesuddenappearanceofcrocodiles，andbythegrimacesandcontortionstheypracticed，astobeunabletoflyorevenmovefromthespottowardwhichtheywereapproachingtoseizethem。”DrAndrewSmith’s“Reptilia“。
InadditiontotheseinterestingstatementsofthemostablenaturalistfromwhomIhavetakenthisnote，itmaybeaddedthatfireexercisesafascinatingeffectonsomekindsoftoadsTheymaybeseenrushingintoitintheeveningswithouteverstartingbackonfeelingpain。
Contactwiththehotembersratherincreasestheenergywithwhichtheystrivetogainthehottestparts，andtheyneverceasetheirstrugglesforthecentreevenwhentheirjuicesarecoagulatingandtheirlimbsstiffeningintheroastingheatVariousinsects，also，arethusfascinated；butthescorpionsmaybeseencomingawayfromthefireinfiercedisgust，andtheyaresoirritatedastoinflictatthattimetheirmostpainfulstings。
SomeoftheBayeiyewemetatSebituane’sFordpretendedtobeunaffectedbythebiteofserpents，andshowedthefeatoflaceratingtheirarmswiththeteethofsuchasareunfurnishedwiththepoison-fangs。
Theyalsoswallowthepoison，bywayofgainingnotoriety；
butDrAndrewSmithputthesincerityofsuchpersonstothetestbyofferingthemthefangsofareallypoisonousvariety，andfoundtheyshrankfromtheexperiment。
WhenwereachedtheBamangwato，thechief，Sekomi，wasparticularlyfriendly，collectedallhispeopletothereligiousservicesweheld，andexplainedhisreasonsforcompellingsomeEnglishmentopayhimahorse。
“Theywouldnotsellhimanypowder，thoughtheyhadplenty；
sohecompelledthemtogiveitandthehorsefornothingHewouldnotdenytheextortiontome；thatwouldbe`boherehere’swindling。”
HethusthoughtextortionbetterthanswindlingIcouldnotdetectanydifferenceinthemoralityofthetwotransactions，butSekomi’sideasofhonestyarethelowestIhavemetwithinanyBechuanachief，andthisinstanceismentionedastheonlyapproachtodemandingpaymentforleavetopassthatIhavemetwithinthesouth。
Inallothercasesthedifficultyhasbeentogetachieftogiveusmentoshowtheway，andthepaymenthasonlybeenforguides。
Englishmenhavealwaysveryproperlyavoidedgivingthatideatothenativemindwhichweshallhereafterfindprovetroublesome，thatpaymentoughttobemadeforpassagethroughacountry。
AlltheBechuanaandCaffretribessouthoftheZambesipracticecircumcision`boguera’，buttheritesobservedarecarefullyconcealedTheinitiatedalonecanapproach，butinthistownIwasonceaspectatorofthesecondpartoftheceremonyofthecircumcision，called“sechu“Justatthedawnofday，arowofboysofnearlyfourteenyearsofagestoodnakedinthekotla，eachhavingapairofsandalsasashieldonhishandsFacingthemstoodthemenofthetowninasimilarstateofnudity，allarmedwithlongthinwands，ofatough，strong，supplebushcalledmoretloa`Grewiaflava’，andengagedinadancenamed“koha“，inwhichquestionsareputtotheboys，as“Willyouguardthechiefwell？”“Willyouherdthecattlewell？”and，whilethelattergiveanaffirmativeresponse，themenrushforwardtothem，andeachaimsafull-weightblowatthebackofoneoftheboys。
Shieldinghimselfwiththesandalsabovehishead，hecausesthesupplewandtodescendandbendintohisback，andeverystrokeinflictedthusmakesthebloodsquirtoutofawoundafootoreighteenincheslong。
Attheendofthedance，theboys’backsareseamedwithwoundsandweals，thescarsofwhichremainthroughlifeThisisintendedtohardentheyoungsoldiers，andpreparethemfortherankofmen。
Afterthisceremony，andafterkillingarhinoceros，theymaymarryawife。
Inthe“koha“thesamerespectisshowntoageasinmanyotheroftheircustomsAyoungerman，rushingfromtherankstoexercisehiswandonthebacksoftheyouths，maybehimselftheobjectofchastisementbytheolder，and，ontheoccasionreferredto，Sekomireceivedaseverecutonthelegfromoneofhisgray-hairedpeople。
Onmyjokingwithsomeoftheyoungmenontheirwantofcourage，notwithstandingallthebeatingsofwhichtheyboremarks，andhintingthatoursoldierswerebravewithoutsufferingsomuch，oneroseupandsaid，“Askhimif，whenheandIwerecompelledbyaliontostopandmakeafire，Ididnotliedownandsleepaswellashimself。”
Inotherpartsachallengetotryaracewouldhavebeengiven，andyoumayfrequentlyseegrownmenadoptingthatmeansoftestingsuperiority，likesomanychildren。
ThesechuispracticedbythreetribesonlyBogueraisobservedbyalltheBechuanasandCaffres，butnotbythenegrotribesbeyond20DegsouthThe“boguera“isacivilratherthanareligiousrite。
Alltheboysofanagebetweentenandfourteenorfifteenareselectedtobethecompanionsforlifeofoneofthesonsofthechief。
Theyaretakenouttosomeretiredspotintheforest，andhutsareerectedfortheiraccommodation；theoldmengooutandteachthemtodance，initiatingthem，atthesametime，intoallthemysteriesofAfricanpoliticsandgovernment。
Eachoneisexpectedtocomposeanorationinpraiseofhimself，calleda“leina“orname，andtobeabletorepeatitwithsufficientfluencyAgooddealofbeatingisrequiredtobringthemuptotherequiredexcellencyindifferentmatters，sothat，whentheyreturnfromthecloseseclusioninwhichtheyarekept，theyhavegenerallyanumberofscarstoshowontheirbacksThesebandsorregiments，namedmepatointhepluralandmopatointhesingular，receiveparticularappellations；as，theMatsatsithesuns；
theMabusatherulers；equivalenttoourColdstreamsorEnniskillens；
and，thoughlivingindifferentpartsofthetown，theyturnoutatthecall，andactunderthechief’ssonastheircommanderTheyrecognizeasortofequalityandpartialcommunismeverafterward，andaddresseachotherbythetitleofmolekaneorcomradeIncasesofoffenceagainsttheirrules，aseatingalonewhenanyoftheircomradesarewithincall，orincasesofcowardiceorderelictionofduty，theymaystrikeoneanother，oranymemberofayoungermopato，butneveranyoneofanolderband；
andwhenthreeorfourcompanieshavebeenmade，theoldestnolongertakesthefieldintimeofwar，butremainsasaguardoverthewomenandchildrenWhenafugitivecomestoatribe，heisdirectedtothemopatoanalogoustothattowhichinhisowntribehebelongs，anddoesdutyasamemberNooneofthenativesknowshowoldheis。
Ifaskedhisage，heanswersbyputtinganotherquestion，“Doesamanrememberwhenhewasborn？”Ageisreckonedbythenumberofmepatotheyhaveseenpassthroughtheformulaeofadmission。
Whentheyseefourorfivemepatoyoungerthanthemselves，theyarenolongerobligedtobeararmsTheoldestindividualIevermetboastedhehadseenelevensetsofboyssubmittotheboguera。
Supposinghimtohavebeenfifteenwhenhesawhisown，andfreshbandswereaddedeverysixorsevenyears，hemusthavebeenaboutfortywhenhesawthefifth，andmayhaveattainedseventy-fiveoreightyyears，whichisnogreatage；butitseemedsotothem，forhehadnowdoubledtheageforsuperannuationamongthemItisaningeniousplanforattachingthemembersofthetribetothechief’sfamily，andforimpartingadisciplinewhichrendersthetribeeasyofcommand。
Ontheirreturntothetownfromattendanceontheceremoniesofinitiation，aprizeisgiventotheladwhocanrunfastest，thearticlebeingplacedwhereallmayseethewinnerrunuptosnatchitTheyarethenconsideredmenbanona，viri，andcansitamongtheeldersinthekotla。
Formerlytheywereonlyboysbasimane，pueriThefirstmissionariessettheirfacesagainsttheboguera，onaccountofitsconnectionwithheathenism，andthefactthattheyouthslearnedmuchevil，andbecamedisobedienttotheirparentsFromthegeneralsuccessofthesemen，itisperhapsbetterthatyoungermissionariesshouldtreadintheirfootsteps；forsomuchevilmayresultfrombreakingdowntheauthorityonwhich，tothosewhocannotread，thewholesystemofourinfluenceappearstorest，thatinnovatorsoughttobemadetoproposetheirnewmeasuresastheLocriansdidnewlaws
withropesaroundtheirnecks。
Probablythe“boguera“wasonlyasanitaryandpoliticalmeasure；
andtherebeingnocontinuouschainoftribespracticingtheritebetweentheArabsandtheBechuanas，orCaffres，andasitisnotareligiousceremony，itcanscarcelybetraced，asisoftendone，toaMohammedansource。
Asomewhatanalogousceremonyboyaletakesplaceforyoungwomen，andtheprotegeesappearabroaddrilledunderthesurveillanceofanoldladytothecarryingofwaterTheyarecladduringthewholetimeinadresscomposedofropesmadeofalternatepumpkin-seedsandbitsofreedstrungtogether，andwoundroundthebodyinafigure-of-eightfashion。
Theyareinuredinthiswaytobearfatigue，andcarrylargepotsofwaterundertheguidanceofthesternoldhagTheyhaveoftenscarsfrombitsofburningcharcoalhavingbeenappliedtotheforearm，whichmusthavebeendonetotesttheirpowerofbearingpain。
TheBamangwatohillsarepartoftherangecalledBakaaTheBakaatribe，however，removedtoKolobeng，andisnowjoinedtothatofSechele。
Therangestandsabout700or800feetabovetheplains，andiscomposedofgreatmassesofblackbasaltItisprobablypartofthelatestseriesofvolcanicrocksinSouthAfrica。